Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photoacoustic imaging apparatus, and more particularly, it relates to a photoacoustic imaging apparatus including a light source portion emitting light to a test object and a detecting portion detecting an acoustic wave generated from a detection target in the test object.
Description of the Background Art
A photoacoustic imaging apparatus or the like including a light source portion emitting light to a test object and a detecting portion detecting an acoustic wave generated from a detection target in the test object is known in general, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2013-075000.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2013-075000 discloses a photoacoustic image generating apparatus (photoacoustic imaging apparatus) including a laser beam source emitting a pulsed laser beam to a test object and an ultrasonic probe (detecting portion) detecting a photoacoustic signal generated in the test object. In the photoacoustic image generating apparatus described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2013-075000, the laser beam source is employed as a light source, and hence the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam output from the laser beam source can be reduced.
When a light source other than the laser beam source is employed in the photoacoustic image generating apparatus described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2013-075000, however, it may be difficult to reduce the pulse width of the pulsed light output from the light source portion. In this case, a signal having accurate image information cannot be obtained, and hence the resolution is disadvantageously reduced.